Carving Out a Future
by StatsGrandma57
Summary: Leia and Han setting up their new home on Coruscant. My inspiration is from a drawing done on the fuckyeahhanandleia tumblr site. Whoever you are, I laud you, and thanks to 2Old4This2 for her being a wicked good beta. Oneshot.


1

It was four weeks before Han and Leia's wedding. Han had made a complete recovery from a nearly fatal attack of the Corellain tanamen flu. They had a small flat in the government district that they'd purchased. They still needed many things to furnish their new home and they hadn't had time to properly search out the appropriate accoutrements for it. All they had at that point was a mattress, a holoscreen and two folding chairs. Leia finally had to demand an afternoon off in order to remedy the situation.

"I think some real dishes are in order," Leia commented. They'd been getting takeaway/delivery for their meals, using disposable cutlery and paper dishes. That is, when they'd been home; they had had little time together save for the time Han was ill.

"It kind of makes a mess when you're trying to cut up a nerf steak," Han agreed. Their first stop was a dinnerware and cutlery shop.

"I think blue," Leia said to Han. Both claimed it as their favorite color, and Han was willing to go along with whatever she wanted. After years of eating off mismatched dishes and utensils on the _Falcon_, anything worked for him. They did not want the fragile dishes Leia had grown up with; something earthen worked better. It was less likely to break and easy to maintain, being perfectly safe to stick into the dish cleaner. Leia had selected a simple flatware pattern. Han approved. Leia was, to Han's mind, a paragon of femininity, but she wasn't fussy about it, except when it came to lingerie. That was a fussiness he could live with happily.

"I think this is the fastest I've ever seen a couple pick out dishware," the owner commented. "And the quietest. I've had couples come in and take hours. Or they start arguing and throwing things around, which, of course, if you break it, you buy it. Personally, I think any couple that starts throwing dishes at each other before the wedding, it's not a good sign." Han and Leia laughed. The dishes and flatware would be delivered in two days.

"What's next?" Leia asked Han.

"Cookware," Han said.

"You'll have to be in charge of that one," Leia told him. "We know that I can't even boil water correctly."

"Sure you can. Boil water, that is," Han told her, his tone teasing but affectionate. "And you're not too bad at slicing vegetables."

"Just because I nearly took the top of my finger off the first time I used a knife, sure, I'm an expert," Leia laughed wryly.

"Don't undersell yourself. Someone's gotta be a princess." The two were enjoying themselves. Leia slipped her hand through Han's arm, and they strolled about the shopping area right outside the government district; the prices were better there. There were plenty of shops closer to home, but Han, having grown up poor, was intent on not paying top credits for anything. It was a skill that had proven invaluable when he went on supply runs during the war. Han could take a credit and stretch it till it screamed for mercy. Despite the fact that Leia had located two of the Alderaanian royal family's accounts postwar and had backup, Han was determined to never take wealth for granted. There had been others, but Leia had donated all that she'd found previously to the war effort.

The cookware Han liked was in a heavy material that was not the current fashion, but the current fashion never interested Han. In fact, he'd often expressed his taste for antiques and things that were old and solid, built to last at least a hundred standard years. Breaking and entering, negotiating weapons and supply deals, and many trips to Nenmo's Curios on Cularin had honed his skills and developed his tastes.

"Are you sure that's what you want?" The woman who was working the sales floor inquired. "We've got all of the newest designs and materials–"

"Ma'am, I know what I want, and what works for me," Han said, trying not to be completely rude for Leia's benefit. "I'll give you an order, but if you can't fill it, we can take our business elsewhere." Han had always told Leia: be prepared to walk. Don't become emotionally involved in any purchase. For someone who'd never done her own shopping, it was a revelation.

Han turned to Leia and said, sotto voce, "I bet she works on commission. And she gets a bigger one from pushing the new stuff." Leia gave him a look to remind him to keep it quiet, at least till they were outside. It was one she normally reserved for those who had pushed her too far and Han knew it could freeze him solid.

That matter handled, Leia suggested they look for some towels and sheets. They had all of two bath towels they'd removed from the _Falcon_ and both had seen better days – a long time ago. They'd taken a tea towel and a hot mitt from that temperamental lady as well. As for bedding, well, the ones for the bunk on the Falcon were far too small for the generously sized mattress they'd purchased immediately upon arriving in Coruscant. Leia loved the plush feel of good towels and silky soft bedding and she knew that Han was a sensual creature and he'd probably appreciate the same.

They took more time in the home textiles shop than they had in the cookware and dinnerware shops.

Han let Leia do the choosing; he simply agreed or disagreed with prospective towels and sheets. They again leaned towards varying shades of blue, but there were items in a green that reminded both of them of Endor. Han was less affectionately disposed towards the Ewoks than Leia, but Endor had become one of their happiest memories, as Han had proposed to Leia after winning the last military battle to overthrow the Empire. It had been one of the best days of their lives.

The bedding and towels were to be delivered within the next two days.

"Security's going to have a lot of fun with this," Han commented. The building in which their flat was located was a high-security one; many highly-placed members of the Provisional Government resided there. Everything that came to the building was thoroughly checked out. Just because the Rebellion had emerged victorious did not mean that there were no disgruntled Imperials; they were everywhere. Leia was going to have her work cut out for her, and she had confided to Han that she wasn't sure she was worthy of her title. But Han had no doubts that she was more than equal to the tasks.

The two stopped at a taverna for a break, Han ordering a top shelf Alderaanian ale and Leia a glass of a sweet red wine.

"We need furniture," Leia said.

"I know a great place not too far away," Han commented, sipping his ale.

"I loved some of the old furniture my parents had," Leia remarked wistfully. Han knew that she would miss them on her wedding day, and that was a sorrow he could never take away. Her father sounded like a person he'd like and respect. He silently reassured the soul of Bail Organa that he would take care of his daughter for all of her life, that he would do all he could to make Leia happy and secure and loved.

"Yeah, there's a lot of bad construction out there," Han commented. "I can't believe what they want for such cheap crap. But we'll go for the good stuff." Han smiled at her and took her free hand. His smile was as radiant as the golden light that lit the beautiful day.

Leia's smile reflected Han's. "I never knew I could be so happy."

"You didn't know? How do you think I feel?" Han told her. "Before you, I had no purpose, no reasons beyond getting by day to day and keeping my head on."

"Well, I can see why you'd worry about keeping your head on," Leia chuckled. "You wouldn't be as handsome. Smarter, but less handsome." Both burst into laughter.

"You are aware that you scare men twice your size," Han teased her back.

"Good. That's how l like it," Leia remarked dryly, and both burst into laughter again. They were getting some odd looks from some onlookers, but neither noticed. They were having too much fun. There was a joy to being a soon-to-be-married couple picking out things for their new home that felt real, and ordinary, and yet special.

They realized that this was a rare afternoon off and that it was quickly waning, so they finished their drinks and left the taverna. Han left a generous tip, which he'd learned not to skimp on. Servers who'd stiffed or been treated stingily tended to remember such customers.

"The day I met Luke, I ended up offing a bounty hunter," Han told her as they walked down the causeway. "Which meant I had to leave a very large tip."

"Now that had to have been painful," Leia commented, chuckling.

"It was! And it wasn't even a high quality bounty hunter!"

"How tacky. By the way, where are we going?"

"Out to the edges of town. Don't worry, we're not headed for the lower levels."

"You think I couldn't handle myself on the lower levels?"

"No, but I think you might not like the smell. Here, let's get the tram." They waited a few moments and the tram screamed into view.

"This tram heads out to the spaceport. There aren't any furniture vendors near there!" Leia exclaimed.

Han gave her his most seductive smile. "Trust me."

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Leia was nothing if not baffled when they went to the landing pad where the _Falcon_

was berthed. Han refused to give her any clues.

"We are not taking the game table," Leia said. "Or the banquette in the lounge."

"No, we need those for the ship. They're staying put," Han assured her.

"Thank the gods." Leia muttered. "Whatever you're showing me didn't 'just fall out of the back of a freighter,' did it?" Leia continued.

"Sweetheart! You wound me!" Han pretended to look hurt. Leia knew his 'who, me?' look well, and it always made her laugh.

Han took her hand and led her to the cargo holds. He unlocked them, and Han began lifting out what looked to be a headboard for a bed. It was beautifully carved and stained a deep red-brown. Leia gasped.

"Where did you get that? It's gorgeous!" She exclaimed.

"But wait, there's more!" Han said, going further into the hold. There was a bed frame to go with the headboard. He surfaced with a beautiful dining chair; soon he'd set four of them up outside the hold. He popped up back to the surface. "I'm gonna need your help on the next piece."

Han began sliding a large wooden piece that turned out to be a dining table. It was solidly built, and heavy to lift, but both were strong from hardships and hard work.

Leia stared at the beautiful creation. "I have to say that you have incredibly good taste. But where did you get all of these?"

"I didn't get 'em. I made 'em."

Leia was stunned.

"Flying around, sometimes you get bored. I got into woodworking when I used to hang out at Shug's. Shug did it for fun, and taught me to how to craft quality items."

"But where..."

"My tools are all hand tools," Han explained, lifting a large box from the hold. "They're all in here."

Leia was nothing short of astonished. "How long has this taken you?"

"Almost ten years," Han admitted. "Sometimes a lot of time passes and I can't work on it. When we were traveling to Bespin, I made the headboard for the bed. I was gonna replace the bunk, but I decided that it needed a better place to live."

"They're incredible pieces," Leia told him, taking his hand.

"I always hoped that someday, I'd have a home to keep them in. And finally, I do." Han's smile was radiant. "I hoped, but I thought they might be in the hold forever. But that's all changed."

Leia peered into the hold. "There's another piece down there."

"It's not quite finished," Han told her. He seemed uncharacteristically shy for a moment."

"What is it?" Leia asked eagerly.

Han gave her the softest, deepest smile that reached his eyes. "It's a crib. For our baby." He looked down for a moment. "I know we haven't had a lot of time to talk about kids –"

"Han, nothing would make me happier than to have your baby," Leia said to him, her eyes shining, her voice soft and husky.

"I was hoping you'd say that," Han said softly, taking Leia into his arms. "I never knew I wanted children."

"What changed all that?" Leia asked him.

Han gave her his sweetest lopsided grin. "You."


End file.
